MP4.2+6.0

find pride in how you choose to set it up.

Big picture, I'm always partial to some kind of Audi OE wheel set up. I'll play with the fitments, diameters and offsets at the margin, but start with OE from the same or similar fitment (and weight) Audi models.

In the 10-15 year time frame Audis are with me or somewhere in family, I find the factory styles tend to be much more timeless, (while most anything aftermarket beyond copies/replicas) doesn't tend to hold up design wise. Many aftermarkets I see on Euro vehicles as they age tend to make the car look more dated and less valued in the market than arguably stock looks. Some exceptions to this, and of course there are some ultra premium wheels that can be pretty special. On a high volume vehicle like the Q5 family, there will also always be a market for a decent set of OE wheels, at least in sizes that have a following or special fitment rationale like various winters.

laakness

I've never had a problem with any of their wheels and have had about 5 sets from them over the last 8 years. Granted, I do pay attention to who they are made by and the method used.

Sometimes I feel like people try to justify the OEM wheel price by saying aftermarket doesn't hold up but all I've ever found were anecdotal stories and myths or threads that don't seem to really explain the situation that caused the damage.

Gossip Girl

I was going by the cool graphic by spijun above. If the 8.5 fits, why did Audi go with such a different size, 19x7? They must have a reason. Audi told me the standard 19" wheels would not fit. Hartmann said they would. I don't feel like hassling with it. Safe to go OEM.

solipsism

I am not exactly sure what your question is, but a reason to go with a 7" wide rim vs 8.5" for winter would be that it is narrower; which (as mentioned before in this thread) would allow for better snow handling.

Like I have said for winter I want the smallest diameter and narrowest wheel I can find that will fit the calipers and meet the original suspension geometry.

Gossip Girl

Narrower is better, agreed, but the tire is the same size for both.

MP4.2+6.0

The stereotype snow recommendation is commonly narrower tires--basically to push road crud of of the way and put more weight on a now narrower footprint. That specifically means the tread width (205/215/225/235, etc.). In turn as you get narrower on the tread width, you would reduce the rim width typically. But for a given tire tread width, manufacturers often allow around 1 1/2" in wheel width variance. And which ever wheel it is within that range won't change the tread width--what contacts the road--of a given tire size essentially even 1 mm whether 7's or 8s or 8 1/2's or whatever. It will change the sidewall cross section some (the tire "bulge"part), which can affect real world curbing damage risk and can lead to some esoteric close to limit handling debates. But if you want to run really narrow (well under 235 baseline in U.S.) TREAD widths, there would come a point where the tire spec's would call for 7's rather than 8's on basic recommended wheel widths.

Net, you tend to decide what tire tread width you want, and then look at wheels that fit the spec for the tires. If you happen to go the other way--rim width first--then you look at a variety of tire choices toward narrower and wide and find the one you want within the overall range. Given the 29" diameter of Q5 tires, you will also find some theoretical sizes and aspect ratios that don't actually exist in the market, so the number of choices, especially for snow tires of various sizes, may sort down yet further.

solipsism

FYI Tire rack has the SQ5 listed on their site with a winter wheel recommendation that is 18x8 +33 (5.787" backspacing) mated up with a 255/55R18 sized tire which is about 0.1% different in outside diameter from stock size.

They also have the 19 and 20 combinations listed as well.

I sent them off an email to confirm they have tested fitted their recommended wheel and the other ones they list. Ill post when they reply.

RS6SES

I'm curious as to which dealer you purchased your SQ5. I'm looking at ordering the SQ5 and winter tire & wheel package from Prestige in Lakewood. Dealer said winter tire & wheels were about $3500, but I assumed we would need to store the summer set in our garage.

gtwagon941

Will 19x8 ET39 (8R0601025AE) fit as SQ5 winter wheels? I've read through this thread multiple times and I think the answer is yes, but just trying to confirm.

spijun

Yes, 19x8 ET39 (8R0601025AE) will fit on SQ5 as winter wheels